Kharkiv Research Institute of Orthopaedics and Traumatology named after Professor Sytenko

Director - Mykola Korzh
Deputy Director - Volodymyr Radchenko

Kharkiv Research Institute of Orthopaedics and Traumatology named after Professor Sitenko was founded in 1907. From the first years of its existence it was a leading institution in the medical care in the East of Ukraine. Within the institute initiated a scientific clinical school well-known in many countries and new trends in medical science such as orthopaedic spine surgery, orthopaedic arthrology and orthopaedic oncology were developed. For their achievements in the field of traumatology and orthopaedics, four of our scientists were awarded State Prizes. Some 75 scientists of the institute defended Doctor’s degree and over 240 -Candidate’s degree thesis’, 78 monographs, 44 text-books, 113 methodical recommendations and brochures and around 5,000 scientific articles were published.

At present the Institute staff is 469 people including 60 researchers (16 Professors, 24 Ph.D.) Among them there are 1 Academician of the National Academy and the Academy of Medical Science of Ukraine, 2 Honoured Workers of Science and Technology of Ukraine, 1 Distiguished Innovator of Ukraine, 1 Distiguished Doctor of Ukraine, 5 SICOT members, 1 ISMISS member.

The Institute has its own clinic with a capacity of 240 beds (6 sections), consultative department, experimental laboratory department (6 sections), scientific library, archives, experimental animals clinic, design office with a medical equipment production line.

Within the Institute there is a Specialized Council for the defence of Doctors’ and Candidates’ dissertations, editorial office of the medical journal «Orthopaedics, Traumatology and Prosthetics», Chair of Orthopaedics and Traumatology of Kharkiv Postgraduate Medical Academy.

The main trends of the Institute scientific activity are:
1. Experimental and theoretical fundamental researches in the field of orthopaedics and traumatology.
2. Diseases and injuries of the spine.
3. Trauma. Traffic traumatism.
4. Arthrology. Problem of etiology, pathogenesis and sanogenesis, early diagnostics, prophylaxy and treatment of degenerative and distrophic lesions of joints.
5. Orthopaedic oncology.
6. Medical mechanics. Design, production and putting into practice of technical novelties, instruments, fixatours.

Within the structure of the Institute we have the following subdivisions:
- department of orthopaedic arthrology and endoprosthetics;
- department of pediatric orthopaedics;
- department of spine surgery;
- department of traumatology and reconstructive surgery;
- department of operative anesthesiology and intensive general and regional surgery;
- department of conservative treatment;
- laboratory of biomechanics;
- laboratory of pathohistomorphology;
- laboratory of biochemistry and experimental modelling;
- laboratory of pathophysiology;
- laboratory of clinical diagnostics including immunology and wound infection group;
- laboratory of orthosis and biomaterials;
- scientific department with the orthopaedic journal staff;
- patent department.

In 14 scientific departments there are 8 heads of the departments who are Professors.

Kharkiv Institute of Orthopaedics and Traumatology has its own laboratory that uses 4 types of animals (rats, rabbits, mongrels, dogs) to perform research on simulation of various types of orthopaedic pathology as well as researching all cell cultures (mesenchymal and bony-cartilaginous ones). Modern methods of investigation enable to evaluate the peculiarities of the course of trauma and orthopaedic pathology: biochemical methods of investigation directed to study organic and mineral matrix of bony and cartilaginous tissues and metabolic analysis of collagen glycosaminoglycans, glycoproteins, non-collagenous proteins, different pathologic conditions. Both tissues and biological liquids are under investigation. Morphological methods — electron and fluorescent microscopy, histochemical and polarization method permit to characterize static and dynamic status of bone and cartilaginous tissues.

The Institute is able to conduct toxicological investigations used in testing new pharmacological preparations and implants.

The range of research interests of the Institute includes:
- experimental simulation of different types of osteoporosis, peculiarities, of remodelling of bone tissue and development of pathogenic schemes of treatment using complex of pharmacological preparations;
- epidemiologic investigations of mineral density of bone tissue of Kharkiv and Kharkiv region inhabitants. First in Ukraine (when using bone densitometry) a database of mineral density indeces in children and teenagers was obtained; osteopenic syndrome on the background of coxarthrosis, hip-spine syndrome, scoliosis, Scheuermann’s disease was described;
- rageneration of bone tissue in osteoporosis (during the experiments on animals the approbation of new fixatours with active biological covering stimulating osteogenesis in long bone fractures was performed);
- development of methods of optimization and stimulation of reparative osteo- and chondrogenesis; cultivation of mesenchymal and bone-cartilaginous cells (independently and on variable careers) for the implantation into defects of intervertebral disk and joint cartilage; experimental grounds for the pharmacological methods;
- investigation of new implant materials - bone tissue substitutes for defects plasty of different genesis (aluminiumoxyde ceramic, sapphire, calcium-phosphate ceramics independently and with fillers). The institute is able to study such implant materials in a full cycle — from the experiment to clinic. When investigating calcium-phosphate ceramics it was determined that the condition and structured metabolic peculiarities of bone tissue, patient's age as well as physical and chemical characteristics of ceramic material, the peculiarities of manufacturing technology influence both the reconstruction of bone tissue and the implant material itself;
- experimental and theoretical grounds and putting into clinical practice of new concervative methods of treatment of osteoarthrosis with the help of physiotherapeutic methods such as glucosamin and oxageucamin (in cooperation with Kharkiv National Pharmacological Academy);
- development and clinical applicationof sapphire — metallic endoprosthesis of the hip joint;
- operative correction of congenital deformation of the skeleton and extermities elongation;
- development, improvement and clinical application of new techniques of spinal injuries management;
- development of new methods of prophylaxy and treatment of traumas and orthopaedic diseases using plasmochemical reactors of high pressure;
- study of principles of creation of new methods of hyperhigh frequency therapy for the treatment of orthopaedic pathology and its clinical approbation;
- development and clinical application of the devices for express-diagnosis of tissue viability;
- evaluation of physical and phychoemotional development, social orientation and adaptation of the school pupils (orphans included).